The work God does and Trinity Sunday, May 18, 2008
I follow the Revised Common Lectionary. The Old Testament reading for this coming Sunday is Genesis 1 -- an account of God's work in creation. The Psalm for the week is Psalm 8 -- a creation Psalm, also very concerned to note God's works and give praise saying, "O Lord, our Sovereign, how majestic is Your name in all the earth!"
This Sunday is Trinity Sunday. This is either a Sunday which is ignored because no one really cares about the Trinity, wondering what in the world theological jargon is doing in a worship gathering...
... Or where it IS observed you can expect lengthy attempts at systematically explaining God's three-ness and yet one-ness, and God's one-ness and yet three-ness.
Either way seems to miss the mark significantly. When we let the Scriptures inform this day something amazing happens. A day given to the Church to remember and celebrate the Triune God becomes centered in the mighty works of God. That is to say, Trinity Sunday teaches us about the Trinity and calls us to rightly worship God as it reminds us that the Trinity is not simply some kind dogmatic claim to confess in our creeds but that it really has something to do with God's work in the world and in our own lives.
This is seen even more clearly in the Gospel reading for this coming Sunday. It is the Great Commission -- Matthew 28.
It doesn't get much more "practical" or "economic" than when Jesus says to the eleven, "Go and do to everyone what I've done to you... oh, and baptize them into this way of life in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. "
Because you see the Trinity: Father, Son, and Spirit are all about the work God does. The Trinity matters because God is still @ work in the world and in our lives.
This Sunday is Trinity Sunday. This is either a Sunday which is ignored because no one really cares about the Trinity, wondering what in the world theological jargon is doing in a worship gathering...
... Or where it IS observed you can expect lengthy attempts at systematically explaining God's three-ness and yet one-ness, and God's one-ness and yet three-ness.
Either way seems to miss the mark significantly. When we let the Scriptures inform this day something amazing happens. A day given to the Church to remember and celebrate the Triune God becomes centered in the mighty works of God. That is to say, Trinity Sunday teaches us about the Trinity and calls us to rightly worship God as it reminds us that the Trinity is not simply some kind dogmatic claim to confess in our creeds but that it really has something to do with God's work in the world and in our own lives.
This is seen even more clearly in the Gospel reading for this coming Sunday. It is the Great Commission -- Matthew 28.
It doesn't get much more "practical" or "economic" than when Jesus says to the eleven, "Go and do to everyone what I've done to you... oh, and baptize them into this way of life in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. "
Because you see the Trinity: Father, Son, and Spirit are all about the work God does. The Trinity matters because God is still @ work in the world and in our lives.
